ASPHALTopics | Spring 2020 | VOL 33 | NO 1

UNSUNG HEROES
by
Steve Pecar
Dolomont ready
to tackle
massive 401 project
Wayne Dolomont
Chances are, at this very moment, Wayne Dolomont is
working. He’s working because that is what he does,
taking care of business and getting the job done.
Right now, taking care of business is work on Highway 401,
on one of largest projects taken on by Aecon which will see
reconstruction and widening for an 18 kilometre stretch
between Mississauga and Milton.
“It’s a major project, the biggest one I have ever worked on,
so I have my work cut out for me for the next five years,” says
Dolomont. As Aecon’s plant supervisor for both the Brampton
and Orangeville sites, Dolomont’s job will be to keep things
moving, anticipating problems, fixing them when they happen
(or before), and making sure things run smoothly.
Dolomont’s career resembles that of many in the asphalt
industry, unsung heroes who have worked their way up,
learning along the way and becoming an essential part
of their company’s operation without even realizing how
important they really are.
John McKay, General Manager, GTA Construction and
Materials Engineering for Aecon Infrastructure, says that
what makes Dolomont so special is his ability to keep going
and get things done because he knows the operation is
relying on him. “He does so many things so well,” says
MacKay. “He is always on top of everything because he
knows he has to be.”
MacKay says Dolomont has been able to keep pace with the
ever changing needs of the industry and puts it into practice
each day. He points out that with 30 different mix designs and
Aecon’s large client base, Dolomont is always kept busy yet
consistently gets the job done.
“The industry has become more dynamic than it used to be,”
says MacKay. “At one time we had two grades of liquid, then
we went to Superpave and that made it four grades of liquid,
now those four each have four subgrades. You get pit source
aggregates, quarry source aggregates, premium aggregates,
and you have to manage all that. Plus we have a depot here
with recycled material, so Wayne arranges the crushers for
that and all the material for resale, and makes sure those
piles are always kept up. Not to mention that he’s also our
point guy for our trucking.”
He says that Dolomont is good at anticipating what is
coming next, and that he anticipates needs because he
knows the business and the needs of the clients. “He makes
sure everyone gets exactly what they need,” MacKay says.
“Each municipality has their own specifications, and that can
be very specific. He can handle it all, much like a juggler who
keeps getting more balls added to the mix.”
Originally from Cape Breton Island, Dolomont says he found
himself in the asphalt industry almost by accident. Having
some construction background, he came to Ontario looking
for work and answered an ad in a newspaper. That led to him
getting hired by Lakeside Asphalt in Mississauga. Within a
year he was running the asphalt plant at Lakeside, learning
as he went, but getting good advice along the way.
Just before Lakeside closed, Dolomont joined Armbro
Construction, first working on the mobile plant before
becoming plant foreman at the Brampton location. “I learned
a lot during this time,” Dolomont says. “I was taking care of
the plant, running maintenance, looking after the crews, and
making sure the asphalt was good and on spec.”
As Armbro became Aecon, Dolomont moved up to supervisor,
the position he currently holds. “For something I didn’t
anticipate, it has been a great career,” Dolomont says. “I look
forward to coming to work each day and I like the challenges
we face. It’s what I do.”
SPRING 2020 35